NEW WESTMINSTER B.C. – “I am very pleased that the Supreme Court of Canada has issued a clear ruling on this matter”, said Jonina Campbell, B.C. Green Party education spokesperson and candidate for New Westminster. “The only way we will be able to move forward is if we stop approaching education through partisanship and instead focus on an approach that brings everyone together to put students first. Our first priority should be ensuring students don’t come to school hungry and have the supports and services they need to thrive.”

“Rather than work with teachers, the B.C. government, first with Christy Clark as Education Minister and then as Premier, led us down a path of 14 years of adversarial litigation”, added Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party and MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head. “This has been an extraordinarily costly experience for British Columbia - both in time and money. The relationship between the BCTF and BC Government has broken down. Partisan politics and antagonism are making it impossible for us to find solutions outside of the courts - and that has to change.”

“The BC Greens are committed to bargaining in good faith, and most importantly, in developing a new relationship with teachers, parents and students - one that puts the interests of our kids first and works to de-politicize the way education policy is done in BC,” said Weaver.

Campbell and Weaver will be commenting further upon the publication of the court’s written decision.